Under Past Walls
by Mrs. Ferb Fletcher-inator
Summary: Phineas just barley keeps himself together after Ferb is sent back to England to his alcoholic mum. But can he handle himself when Ferb is missing and Phineas knows his brother is in serious pain? PxI and FxOc Adopted from Crazy CM Fan100.
1. Prologue

**This first half of this FanFic isn't mine. I adopted it from Crazy CM Fan100. When I start posting the chapters that I write, I will be sure to let you know. ;)**

* * *

_**The Prologue**_

"Ha! Beat ya again!" Phineas grinned, already eager for the day's beginning. What to do, what to do? There were so many options, so much to do, to discover, so much to explore! Heck, there were _no _limits to keep this team of step-brothers and a few other friends down.

He looked over to Ferb's bed,realizing that Ferb was just as awake, silent but giving a small grin, a rare occurrence in the Flynn-Fletcher household. They climbed out of bed in almost exact unison, mirroring each other's actions. They ran for the stairs, Ferb reaching them first, then slid down the rail, one brother following after the other landed, almost crashing.

The duo walked into the kitchen, to be welcomed with an assorted variety of breakfast items, Phineas taking a few pancakes with butter and syrup, Ferb taking a bagel with cream cheese and an apple. The boys sat down at the table facing each other, beginning to nibble on breakfast.

"Good morning, boys. I practically made a whole breakfast buffet this morning for the first day of summer, so eat all you want." Linda greeted them, heading out the door.

"Where are you going?" Phineas asked cheerfully.

"I have a few errands to run. I should be back in time for lunch. Bye, boys!" she told them, giving a small wave. "Oh, and don't forget to get the mail!"

"We won't!" Phineas repiled, Ferb giving a simple thumbs-up to her. The woman smiled warmly then left. The boys ate their breakfast quickly, both eager to get started on a new project.

"So, what should we try today? Defy physics? Train a donkey? Have a bubble-wrap parade?" Phineas asked. Ferb gave a shrug. Then almost as if on cue, the gate door opened, revealing their unmistakable friend, Isabella. Over the years, they had all changed physically.

But not as much as Izzy. Isabella's raven-black hair was kept back in a neat ponytail, with a new white bow with pink stripes in it's original spot. She had changed up her style, now wearing a light pink blouse, a bright pink skirt with white and pale pink stripes, and white ballet-flats. She was taller now too, but surprisingly, was shorter than Phineas, who had had a growth spurt last year. She had also gained some curves. Phineas was overall the same, but he was taller and a little more muscular than before.

He had kept his friendly child-like demeanor, and it suited him well. Ferb was still the tallest, but he also became the thinnest. Ferb now wore a dark purple and green T-shirt, jeans with a black belt, and a pair of black sneakers. His hair was the same leaf-green color but it now complimented his grayish blue eyes, making him seem more older and more mature than he really was. His British accent had developed to some degree, charming almost each and every girl.

"So, what'cha doing?" Isabella asked sweetly, walking over to Phineas.

"We don't know yet. Have any ideas?" Phineas repiled.

"Well, maybe you could plan a 'get-together' to celebrate the first night of summer," Isabella suggested, "Or maybe a water-ballon fight inside a giant stadium!"

"Brilliant, Izzy! But, wait a minute. We need to ask Mom or Dad. And we need to get the mail out." Phineas told her, not forgetting his mom's request.

Ferb nodded and got up to grab the mail, as Phineas dialed his mom's number on his cell. Ferb went around the house and walked over to the mailbox, unknowing that one letter would change the events dramatically. He pulled the envelopes out and looked through them. Bill. Junk. Junk. Junk. Magazine. Junk. Taxes. Letter for him. Wait, a letter? For him? He frowned curiously and opened the envelope. After reading the letter about 12 times, he paled and stumbled a bit before dragging himself back to the backyard, feeling sick and a bit fever-ish. Was this some kind of cruel prank? He was going mad, wasn't he?

"Phineas? W-will you come over here f-for a second?" Ferb's voice was unusually shaky and quiet, but nevertheless, Phineas heard him loud and clear.

"Ferb, you okay, bro? Is there something wrong? Are you sick?" Phineas asked, noticing his brother's thin, pale frame shaking.

Ferb, unable to directly answer, just headed his brother the letter.

"Read it." he said, going inside, knowing a break-down in front of Phineas would make things worse.

He went into their room, climbed into his bed pulling the covers over himself, going through a silent panic attack, attempting to calm himself down for Phineas' sake. He took an extra-deep breath and climbed out of the bed and walked uneasily to the window to watch his brother. He instantly regretted his own decision as he watched Phineas' happy face wrenching into a horrifed, shocked grimace, a few tears welling in his light blue eyes. Isabella walked over to Phineas slowly, and gave him a light pat on the shoulder, trying to figure the cause of Phineas sudden change in emotion.

"Phineas, may I see the note for a second?" she asked gently. She knew that the letter must've completely HORRIBLE to get a reaction like that from Phineas.

Phineas nodded, rubbing his eyes and handing over the seemingly normal piece of paper. Isabella read it over with netural expression until she read that depressing last paragraph. No wonder Phineas was so upset! She gave Phineas a tight reassuring hug, attempting to comfort him.

"Phineas, get your brother and met me at the Executive Fireside Girls' lodge in 20 minutes. I'm calling an emergeny meeting."

"What good will that do?" Phineas sniffled, resisting the urge to throw a tantrum.

"We'll figure something out. Maybe he won't have to leave. Don't lose hope yet!" Isabella told him, "Just come."

Phineas sighed, his first tear coming down his cheek. He, Phineas Flynn, had already lost his hope as soon as he had read those last few sentences.

Ferb was being sent back to England at the end of the week, never to return to America. His mother had just gained custody of him.

Phineas' hope was only lost for now, but he knew that once Ferb left, all his hope would leave him too.

* * *

**I didn't do much I only fixed the format and stuff. I'll post the next chapter soon. Thanks you again, Crazy CM Fan100 for letting me adopt you wonderful story. R&R please! **


	2. The Eye of the Storm

**This chapter isn't mine. Phineas and Ferb belong to Swampy and Dan. **

* * *

"This meeting is now in session! We have united to help Phineas and Ferb." Isabella stated loudly.

"Current issue: Ferb's mother has gained custody over Ferb, meaning that Ferb might have to go back to the U.K. Are we clear so far?" she asked.

After collecting a loud "YES, CHIEF!" Isabella raised her hand to silence the crowd.

"Gretchen, did you take a look at the note? Is it real or a sick joke?" Isabella asked, walking over to her genius second-in-command.

"Yes. This is official business. The names of the members in court were each listed on the bottom of the page, along with the courthouse ID code and the case number." Gretchen answered professionally. Isabella frowned slightly and gave a distressed sigh, unnerving the two already-nervous step-brothers.

"Troup! I need you all to try to figure out a loophole. Phineas, Ferb, I suggest you show your parents the note. Gretchen!" Isabella told them.

Gretchen gave Ferb the note and a sad look, knowing that if she couldn't find a loophole...he would be forced to leave Danville. That would be the fuel to keep her going throughout this week.

Ferb's face remained emotionless, but there was a look in his eyes that revealed how truly stressed he was, a look only Phineas could notice. Phineas looked at Ferb, noting the true state of panic Ferb was currently in. Isabella motioned for the boys to head home, stopping Phineas as he began to walk by.

"Phineas, we'll take care of this. Don't worry." she reassured him.

Then without warning, Phineas wrapped his arms around Isabella, giving her a grateful hug. Isabella blushed and hugged back tightly.

Phineas slowly released his grip on the girl, starting to wonder about things he never had thought about. Did he just...enjoy that?

Too much? He shook his head, trying to will himself to focus. Was he feeling something different about one of his best friends? He didn't know yet.

The boys reached home quickly and prepared to break the news to Lawrence. Ferb knocked on the door firmly. His father answered the door almost instantly. Without a word, Ferb held out the note to his father and headed to his and Phineas' room. He began to gather a few belongings putting them in a large suitcase.

"Ferb? What are you doing?" Phineas asked.

"Packing. I need to be ready for Saturday." Ferb explained bluntly, pulling out a small wooden box from underneath his bed.

"But it's Monday, we have time! And besides, they will find something." Phineas said trying to reassure himself.

"Will they? We don't know that for certain, Phineas." Ferb snapped, instantly wanting to make himself vanish.

"I'm trying to stay positive, even though I'm depressed on the inside about all of this! I need something to believe in because if I keep reminding myself that they _might_ not find something, I'll end up being someone completely different! I want to make sure I can be happy around my BEST friend before you leave, so I can be counted as a good memory in the future. So, please..." Phineas ranted, rivers of tears streaming down his face.

"We can't give up." Ferb ended for him, "And we won't."


	3. Losing Hope

**This chapter isn't mine and Phineas and Ferb belong to Swampy and Dan. **

* * *

'Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep. Be-!' Gretchen groaned and looked around, noting that she was still at her desk. At 1:03. In the morning. Now why was she on the computer this early?

A blast of realization hit her like a ton of bricks, interrupting her one moment of peace for the day. She looked back at her computer screen to find the source of that annoying beeping sound.

"Beep beep! Beep beep! Beep beep! Beep!" the laptop flashed. Gretchen nearly jumped at the increasing volume. After turning down the volume, the female tech-genius began to further continue her frantic search for a solution to that stupid court issue. She tirelessly began to type multiple combinations of numbers and letters until finally the correct page showed up. The case files.

She finally typed in that last code she had been saving to use on this specific site. Within the text box she typed 9Q42976YK, the same case number on the letter, followed by 'Enter.' In seconds, the computer began to download the proper information to her hard drive.

Now all that was left to do was wait. In this case, this meant that she reward herself a well-deserved nap. A few hours later, the process was finally complete! Gretchen woke up to her alarm clock at 6:45 in the morning to print out the files. She smiled to herself, pleased with her morning's accomplishment as the pages began to slide out of the printer. She picked up the paper, still smiling and she began to read. Too soon though, her charming grin began to fade into an upsetting look twisted by disbelief. She pounded her fist onto the desk.

"No, n-no, no...this can't be right. B-but, but, but...no!" she whimpered. Quickly, she picked up her mobile phone and dialed a familar number frantically. She tried to control her breathing. Breathe in. Out. In. Out.

"Isabella! I-it's an emergency," Gretchen spoke into the phone. "It's about the court order a-against Ferb."

So, how was that? I hope it wasn't too short. Was it good or does this deserve the trash bin? Just let me know!

* * *

Ferb lay in his bed, staring at the wall. He hadn't gotten much sleep that night. 'What ifs?' swirled through his head, refusing to let Ferb have some-or any-peace of mind.

He had just laid there all night, either staring at the ceiling or admiring the midnight view of the stars. Every time he closed his dark gray-blue eyes, he had have this recurring nightmare. He looked over at his step-brother, who was tossing and turning restlessly, but at least he was getting some sleep. Ferb knew how worried Phineas really was. VERY.

Ferb buried himself underneath the covers, still leaving a space to get from, and curled into the fetal postition. This was his way to seperate himself from the rest of the universe.

All of a sudden later, Phineas let out a not-so-quiet yell, "NOOO!"

Ferb, hearing this, jumped out of his bed and went over to Phineas' bed and shook his brother. Luckily, Phineas was a pretty light sleeper. "Ferb? Are you still here?" Phineas asked.

Ferb's heart shattered as he took in the panicked look Phineas was giving him. "I'm here, it's okay. Let me guess. A nightmare?" Ferb replied gently. Phineas blushed sheepishly. Ferb took that as a 'yes.'

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ferb asked. Phineas stubbornly shook his head, trying hide that crazed look in his eyes. Ferb, however, had already noticed. Phineas asked, "How did you know to wake me up?"

Ferb gave his brother the smallest of smiles. "You sleep-talk, or in this case sleep-scream." he answered. Phineas raised an eyebrow at this. "So, if you decide you do want to talk, I'm all ears." Ferb told his brother. "Maybe later. But maybe you should get some rest first," Phineas noted, seeing the bags under Ferb's eyes.

Ferb frowned and muttered something that Phineas couldn't understand. "Huh?" the redhead asked.

"I said, I'll probably have nightmares too. About Mum, I suppose." Ferb answered. Phineas looked at his brother, completely confused.

"Ferb, if you don't get some sleep..." Phineas started to warn him, but Ferb just nodded slowly. Phineas sighed got up to get a glass of water from the kitchen as Ferb went back over to his bed, pulling up the covers. Phineas returned to the room, surprised to find his older brother asleep. The sight was so strange, but there was a calming effect to it as well. Phineas smiled, the first since the turning of events earlier.

He walked over to Ferb's bed silently. "Good night, bro." he whispered.

Phineas slipped into his own bed, not hearing his brother's soft remark. "Good night, Phineas."

* * *

"Wait, repeat that again!" Isabella demanded through the phone.

"I said-" Gretchen choked on a sob, "that we can't do anything! The case was in England, so we have no control in America!" she blurted out. Isabella held back a scream.

"That's horrible! Did you tell Phineas yet?" Isabella asked sadly.

"No, not yet. You're the first person I've called." Gretchen answered truthfully. Isabella sighed on the other side of the line.

"How are we going to tell them?" Gretchen asked her fellow Fireside Girl. Isabella shook her head, frowning.

"That-I have no clue."


	4. The Usual

**__Just a warning; mention of alcohol and neglect in this chapter. **

**I don't own anything!**

* * *

_**SATURDAY...9:22 A.M**_

Ferb was on that wretched plane now, looking out the window sadly, wanting desperately to go down the hatch with a parachute and drift his way back down to the fair city of Danville. Back down his loved ones. Back to Phineas. Phineas...how was he taking it all? Ferb was more worried about step-brother than he was for himself.

He absolutely hated putting his family into such a panicky frantic behavior. The last time Ferb had saw Phineas, he was shaking like a leaf, and he looked like an extra for the Addam's family. He had dark bags under his eyes. But worse of all, Phineas was wearing a FAKE smile. Phineas wasn't supposed to give out fake smiles!

Phineas' smiles had always been sincere wide grins. Only Ferb was able to tell how plastic-looking that smile was. Such a cold, horrible feeling ran throughout his veins.

Nobody was able to see it behind his expressionless face, but if you looked straight into Ferb's eyes, you could see how truly devestated he was feeling. Only after Ferb had turned his back, had Phineas risked letting out a puppy-dog whine. Both boys felt as if one half of them had been harshly ripped from them, without the other knowing.

Ferb had been right on Monday. They hadn't gotten any promise that the Fireside Girls would find anything. Ferb had also been wrong. He had told Phineas that they wouldn't give up. Heck, both boys had lost their hope as soon as Ferb had been forced onto the plane by a nearby worker. He had 6 hours left until the plane would arrive in England.

Until it was time to land, Ferb would be thinking of one thing and one thing only. Phineas.

_**6 HOURS, 23 MINUTES, AND 47 SECONDS LATER**_

Ferb hestitately followed the rest of the passengers off of the plane and into the Londan airport. The place was packed with all kinds of people. Short, tall, Chinese, Mexican, even people from the countries placed at the ends of the Earth. However, there was only one person he was interested in.

She was tall and thin like Ferb himself, although she was a few inches shorter, maybe 5'9? Her hair was the color of honey, if not a shade darker, with dark blue and purple streaks and was cut into a chic pixie cut, framing her face nicely.

Judging by her facial features, Ferb assumed she was also 14. Or perhaps 13. He thought of Phineas as soon as he saw the girl's eyes. Bright blue, so big and intelligent-looking.

Although she was completely gorgeous, Ferb's attention was centered on the golden heart-shaped locket around her neck. Could it be? He walked over to the teen and showed her his beloved watch, one he had created at a very young age. The wristband was made of brown leather and had a golden buckle with matching gold trim around the clock's small frame.

The girl's eyes widened as she exaimined his watch. Blue eyes met blue eyes. "Ferb?" she asked softly. Ferb now knew it for certain. It WAS her.

He spoke his first words in a few days, "Deliah? Is that-you?"

* * *

_**ONE YEAR LATER in ENGLAND**_

"RUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNN!" she yelled, grabbing her companion by the arm. The loud explosion had happened seconds later, barely missing her. The man wasn't so lucky. The blast threw him up into the air, causing him land on his neck. Time seemed to slow down around the young woman. She tried to get to her partner's side, only to be held back by another officer. "I'm sorry...broke his neck...not breathing...dead." she heard. "No." she told herself.

"No! He can't be d-dead! NO!" she shouted, struggling out of her captor's hold, tears streaming down her face. She felt a small tap on her shoulder, the captor disappearing instantly into thin air, his grasp released. She turned around looking for the source of the sudden action.

She saw herself, ragged and wrinkly, her dark green hair in a mess, still wearing the ring on her finger. She was completely different, wearing an over-sized T-shirt and baggy sweatpants with a pair of slippers, holding a beer bottle in her hand.

Another firm tap. Another. "It's time to wake up. It's already 3:45 in the afternoon. Back to reality." she heard her other self say.

Kathrine Drownn-formerly Fletcher-jolted up, putting an end to her nightmare, her now 15-year-old son, Ferb standing over her, his face emotionless as usual.

In his hand was her daily morning vodka. She snapped and he handed over the bottle willingly. "At least you're good for something." she snarled, not bothering to keep her voice down. Ferb shrugged it off, quickly running to the fridge. Only 2 bottles of wine left. He instantly wrote his mother a note. He was going to head off to the store to pick up more for her. Not that she'd care where he went. As an afterthought, he also wrote down that he was going over to Deliah's to hang out over there.

Mum wouldn't mind. He placed the note and one of the bottles of wine onto the table side by side then ran outside, slamming the door behind him. He grabbed his electric scooter from the garage and climbed on, putting on his helmet and slipping his backpack on his back. He rode through the city, finally coming across the local shop district.

He parked his scooter and walked into the shop, going straight to the cashier line. He dug in his pockets, dragging out what would be $60 in Danville out. He slid the money across the counter to the friendly clerk. "The usual?" the pudgy man asked. Ferb nodded. The man went through a door behind him and brought back two 30 pack of beer cans, 10 vodka bottles and 3 bottles of whiskey.

"Thank you for your business, kid. See ya next time!" he called out as Ferb walked out, carrying the heavy load in his gigantic bag on his back. Ferb gave a polite wave and climbed onto the scooter. Maybe he could convince his mum to let him watch TV tonight. Eh, probably not. He had work to do, meals to cook, a house to clean, and a mother to 'baby-sit".

Over the past year Ferb had learned to take care if himself and his mum, since she was often too drunk to do anything at all except to sit on her fat, lazy bottom. And they both knew it. They both just pretended that Ferb was just nice enough to take care of them. Apparently, everyone bought it, surprisingly.

Only Deliah knew the truth about the Drownn/Fletcher household, through her parents suspected abuse in Ferb's house. Luckily, she was pretty good at keeping her mouth shut, like Ferb. That was one thing they had in common. In fact, nobody had heard Ferb speak at all, besides Deliah, that was. The two were close but not _that_ close, yet.

Ferb pulled up into the Evans' residence, happy to be away from home. He climbed off the scooter and went up to the door. Without even needing to knock, the front door was opened by Deliah's adoptive mom, a short round woman with a friendly face and a delightful, fun personality. "Ferb! How lovely to see you! I'll go get Deliah, you come in. Make yourself comfortable!" she told him kindly. He nodded and stepped inside the house, settling on the couch. Only moments later, Deliah attacked Ferb with a tight hug. "So, I see you're still alive. That's a start!" she joked.

Ferb stuck his tongue out at her playfully. The duo exchanged smiles. Deliah grabbed Ferb's arm and dragged him to the back door. "Mum, we're going to the backyard!" she called, pulling Ferb outside.

The evening was nearing as the two ran around trying to catch fireflies. After an hour or so, there were about 20 bugs flying around in a glass jar the teen girl had brought out. The two held on to the jar together, waiting for the sun to go down. "The first day of summer is nearly over." Deliah noted. Ferb nodded. "Whose honor is it?" he asked. "Yours." she replied. With the darkness wrapped around, with the exception of the light of the fireflies, they looked straight at each other, their eyes locking as they subconsciously touched the other's fingertip's around the glass. Snapping out of it, Ferb unscrewed the lid, freeing the bugs, as they soared towards the sky. All of a sudden, Ferb's cell phone rang. Mum. "I've got to get going. Sorry," Ferb told her.

"Is it your Mum?" the young girl asked. Ferb nodded. Deliah sighed and led Ferb back through the house to get to the driveway. "Bye, Ferb." Deliah said. Ferb gave a polite nod and answered "Good night. See you tomorrow." With that, he walked out and climbed onto his mode of transportation, which luckily, had headlights on them. He drove off into the night, back to his home. He put down the bag on the kitchen table, noticing an unusual silence in the house.

He put the beverages into the right places, then went into the living room, Mum passed out on the couch as he had guessed. Great. He woke up his mother, with a few sharp taps on the shoulder. "What?" she asked.

Ferb pointed to the bedroom door and helped her into the bed in there. Apparently, just the trip to bedroom wore out Kathrine, because his mother was out like a light as soon as her head hit the pillow.

He began to work on cleaning up the house in order to tire himself out. If he didn't fall asleep as soon as he lay on the couch, he would be up all night. Not good. At all. After completely organizing the house and washing all the dishes he was finally tired. He grabbed a blanket and a pillow out of the hall closet and lied down on the couch, falling asleep smugly.

He nor his mother heard the window shatter or the sounds of an uninvited visitor as they slept peacefully, without a single stress in the world.


	5. Live Video Feed

_**Chapter 8**_

**BOOM!** The building gave off the earthshaking blast of a powerful bomb, an uncommon force pushing her for the exit as she gripped onto Peter's arm, to assure him of some safety. She began to fall and never noticed that her now sweaty hand was slipping away more with each moment, until she finally let go.

She landed on the ground on her stomach, her leg twisted at an unnaturally painful angle. Seconds later, a charred body came flying down from the air roughly. Burns marked his skin, blood seeping out through even the smallest of wounds. And his neck was just leaning back, dangerously out of place.

His ring was still placed on his finger, completely unharmed, merely mocking her soundlessly. She tried to get up and to Peter's side with tears blocking her vision. Another officer picked her up gently and placed her onto an ambulance gurney. She kept eyes open tiredly, waiting to hear of Peter's condition.

"Peter...lack of oxygen...burned...broken neck. No pulse...dead." she heard.

"No, " Kathrine told herself. "NO!" she yelled. But no matter how hard she tried to believe he was alive, at the depths of her soul, she knew the doctors were right. Her brave "knight-in-shining armor" husband-to-be was, indeed, dead. Peter was gone. And he wasn't coming back. Ever.

* * *

The scene changed. She was in her messy country-side home, adjusting her make-up. She was wearing a pair of black trousers, and a navy blue turtleneck shirt with a black jacket, a pair of black leather boots on her feet.

Her hair was trimmed neatly and was in a French braid down to the small of her back. She wore a ring with a beautiful glistening emerald on it. Her engagement ring. And in her hand, was Peter's own ring, a small silver band.

On it was engraved, 'Treasure life to the fullest.' a phrase he would say often.

* * *

Suddenly she was at the funeral service. "-may God bless him in Heaven," the priest was saying. The crowd stood up, all sorts of different flowers in their hands.

She carried a white rose, the one that she and Peter had planted and grow together.

Each crowd member, except for Peter's mother, who was crying uncontrollably, her gray hair stuck on her face, passed by the coffin to drop their flowers. Finally, Kathrine stepped forwards last and placed the flower in his clenched fist, so he could have it forever, wherever he went. She wiped away a few tears from her cheeks and went back to her seat.

The scene changed one last time. She was sitting on the couch lazily with a blanket over her lap, beer cans scattered around everywhere. She was so lonely, so useless. She had lost her job, Peter was dead and she was an overly-emotional drunk! She didn't even have a cat to care for!

Suddenly an idea struck her.

Ferb was in America. Who knows what could happen there? She wouldn't be lonely much longer. She was going to protect her son.

* * *

She woke up, her vision still foggy from her sleep-induced vision. She needed to find Ferb and apologize. Maybe she would make dinner tonight. Maybe she would _finally_ hear his voice. She went into the front room, staggering towards the couch. Ferb had the blanket covering him completely, from head to toe.

"Ferb? Are you awake?" she asked. "Ferb?" Kathrine lifted the top blanket to find several other blankets bunched up. No Ferb in sight.

She quickly went into the kitchen, searching for any note Ferb might have left for her. There _was_ a note. But not from Ferb.

_Ms. Kathrine Drownn/Fletcher,_

_Yes, I know your name. In case you haven't already noticed, your son isn't around. Maybe you were just too intoxicated to care or even look._

_Anyways, you might as well know now, this is not a ransom note. I wouldn't kill him until I've broke him. Until he screams._ Until he begs for mercy.

_ Go ahead and call the police. __We both know they won't find me. _

_Now you can go on with the rest of your pathetic, drunken life; the one you've been living alone for the past couple of years now. _

_I'm so glad I was able to help. Perhaps after your son's death __you might be able to quit. Probably not. Oh, well. Not my problem._

_Signed, _

_Yours Truly. _

_Did you really think I would leave a name?_

* * *

**_In Danville...with Phineas Flynn_**

Phineas Flynn turned his head to the window, observing the outside world. It seemed so..._happy_.But how was anybody happy? Ferb was gone!

He recalled those painfully cheery memories when he and Ferb would create those crazy devices each morning, prompting Candace into a state of paranoia. Those were the days. Although Phineas was depressed that Ferb wasn't with him, he was okay if Ferb was okay.

Or at least, when he thought Ferb was okay with his mom.

Well, all that was about to change. He logged onto his laptop, as he did everyday to get on the Internet. He had gotten a strange interest in the international news. (Weird, huh?) Curiously, he clicked on a link titled, "Missing Teen in the UK"

Suddenly the computer began buzzing. It stopped after a while, to reveal a live video feed. It was Ferb. He was lying on the ground in a pool of his own _blood_, his leg in an awkward position. Ferb was shaking terribly, whether from pain or the cold, Phineas had no clue. All he knew: his brother was in some serious trouble.

"Mom, Dad! Come here! QUICK!" Phineas yelled. The screen paused.

His parents came running into his room. "What's wrong?" a concerned Linda asked.

"The computer-just watch this video. " Phineas said. The video started again. "As you may see, your step-brother isn't doing so well." a deep voice said, obviously disguised. "Currently he has 2 _cracked_ ribs, 4 _broken_ ribs, a black eye and a broken leg. Unlike _him_, I feel _great_."

Lawrence and Linda looked at each other, faces creased by horror. "So, I'll make a deal. If you can find him within the next two weeks, you can bring him home to safety. If you can't, well-I'm sure you know what I'm getting at." Phineas could just picture the cruel sneer on this jerk's face.

A tall figure walked into the room, wearing a ski mask. He gave Ferb a harsh kick to the stomach. Ferb bit his lip to keep back a groan. He was sore all over, his strength only holding on by a thread.

"Until next time." the man said in a menacing all-too-friendly tone. The screen went dark. Phineas couldn't breathe.

His eyes widened. His mom was sobbing quietly into Lawrence's shoulder, who was holding back his own tears. "Oh dear." he whispered. Phineas regained his breathing patterns and ran out the door. "Where are you going?" Lawrence asked the redhead. "I'm going to need as much help as I can get. I know what I'm going to do today." Phineas called back.

He was going to get his brother back.

* * *

"CURSE YOU, PERRY THE PLATYPUS!"

Agent P smirked at his downed antagonist and gave a polite tip of his hat. "Wait, Perry the Platypus! I need a little help here! Hello? " the so-called doctor shouted. Perry raised an eyebrow, then pressed the button for the elevator. "Oh great, now I have to pay extra for the animal control! Curse you, stupid economy!" Perry climbed into his hovercraft and turned on auto-pilot.

_Another successful mission. Not that I'll fail anytime soon with Dr. D as __my nemesis._ The very thought brought a michevious grin onto Perry's face. "Beep, beep, beep. Beep, beep, beep. Beep, beep, be-!" his watch buzzed.

_Great. What is it now?_ Agent P pressed the button on his watch. "Agent P, sorry to bother you so early...but it's an emergeny-" Monogram started.

_What, did Carl eat the last cookie again?_ "-It's about your former host family. Ferb has gone missing." Perry froze._ No. That can't be right!_ "I'm sorry, Agent p. We'll do whatever we can, but no promises can be made yet. Monogram out." The screen went off, leaving Perry to think to himself.

_I bet __Phineas is going bonkers. Wait...Phineas. Maybe...no! He wouldn't do it. He would not put Phineas in danger. Well, Phineas is probably trying to find __Ferb anyways. And, besides I want to find Ferb too. Phineas can't go alone! I'll go with him, even if I have to blow my cover._ _It's a choice i am willing to take._

* * *

Chapter 12

**(Ferb's POV)**

My captor knocked me down onto the floor and gave me a sinister grin. With a sudden burst of power, he kicked my shin then rolled me over onto my stomach. He stepped onto my leg, causing me to hiss in pain. I could practically feel the smug look on the creep's face.

"Ugh!" I felt an unbearable pressure in my leg unlike anything I had ever felt. He stepped off, clearly satisfied with his work. He turned me around so I was once again on my back.

Thank God. At least it was less painful that way. "Alright. You ready?" he asked.

"For what?" I replied. He winked at me nastily then dragged me into a pool of blood. My own blood.

He walked out and locked the door. '_That's it?'_ I thought, '_Could have been worse...even if this is disgusting.'_

If I had been paying attention, I would've seen a video camera attached to the ceiling at the far corner of the room, as well as the speaker that wasn't too far from it.

I heard a loud squealing sound from the PA. The disguised voice of my kidnapper filled the room, as my thin frame shook from the pain flowing throughout my body and the chills that this freezing floor was sending up my spine. "As you may see, your step-brother isn't doing so well. Currently he has 2 cracked ribs, 4 broken ribs, a black eye, and a broken leg. Unlike _him_, I feel _great_."

I knew he was talking to Phineas. I forced myself to stay in control. "-If you can find him within the next two weeks, you can bring him back to safety. If you can't-" _Why is he doing this? Why was he bringing Phineas into this? he has done nothing to him at all. _He came back with a mask on and kicked me in the stomach. I bit my lip to keep a groan from escaping.

"Until next time. " he said facing the camera. He leaned over and turned the device off. He removed the mask and gave me a sickeningly friendly smile. "Here." he handed me a glass of water. I looked at it suspiciously then chugged it down.

He took the empty glass and walked out wordlessly. Realizing how tired I truly was, I closed my eyes, giving in to the desire for sleep, then I let the darkness surround me as I drifted into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

**(Phineas' POV)**

I look at my surroundings. Standing around me is the old group, in my room, filling the space with an unreal uneasiness from the memories of the past years we had known each other. It's not that I don't trust them-I just don't know what to think. After all, Ferb is being held hostage somewhere, I don't know where to begin, and, and...Isabella! I can't help but stare at her. There's a weird feeling in my stomach. My heart is beating faster. I feel dizzy and I have a strange sensation in my gut. _What the-? Am I getting sick? No. I can't be. I have to find Ferb! But...how?_

Apparently, I'm the only one trying to figure this out! A strong sense of determination fills me as I examine the group around me. I frown. We have some work to do. "So, Dinner Bell, how's life been?" Buford asks me.

I raise an eyebrow. _Seriously, Buford? Seriously?_ "It's been okay, if you consider this okay!" I gesture towards my laptop and clicked the 'replay' button the creep had set up. As they watch, I watch for their reactions.

Baljeet is shaking with a shocked expression on his face, looking even more nervous than usual, while Irving seems to be praying, in his panicky way. Isabella has covered her eyes and gasps as she hears the _thump_ of Ferb's crumpled form as he suffers a blow to his stomach area. Even Buford has become paler than he normally is.

The video ends and I close up the computer. They're all staring at me now, a pained glimmer in their eyes. Isabella puts a hand on my shoulder tenderly. "Oh my gosh. Phineas...I-" she keeps back a sob. She wraps her arms around my neck, causing me to blush slightly. She releases me slowly and looks at me questioningly.

"What do we do now?" Baljeet asks, obviously still upset by that video's contents. I feel myself give them a ghost of a smile. "We find Ferb." I answer.

"How?" they ask me.

We stand in silence until someone breaks the ice. "I have an idea!" Irving squeaks, "Huddle up." We do as instructed and begin to plan. When we break, I begin to smile, the first real one since Ferb's departure. "This might actually work." I say. And with that said, we go back to the old days, as we begin our most important project ever.


	6. God's Garden

**I don't own anything!**

* * *

**7-8 Years Ago-Chelsea, England- MiddleOak Elementary**

_The young orphan girl hobbled onto the school playground, nervously inching towards the bench towards the edge of the fence. "Maybe if I get there fast enough, they won't notice me." Deliah thought to herself. No such luck. _

_Her antagonists surrounded her, their eyes cold and calculating without a single sign of mercy or remorse: a disturbing sight to the mere 7 year-old. The gang consisted of older kids. Two boys, Jonathon and Johnny, obviously a set of twins both big and packed with muscles. Joining the boys were 3 girls. Brianna, Lucy, and Ally. _

_"Hey, squirt. How are you? Your parents picking you up today? Wait-her parents are dead! Ha!" Ally sneered. "Boys, show the poor dear elsewhere. This is our bench, for us who still have parents."_

_Lucy said threateningly, pointing at the stunned girl. As the two reached for the now shaking Deliah, they were interupted by a small figure. The green- haired boy thrust himself between Deliah and the brawny set of stubborn twins. "Move it, freak! You're in the way!" Lucy snarled. _

_The young boy cleared his throat and moved closer to Deliah, in order to protect her better._

_ "What did I just say? If you don't move by the time I count to five, you will get hurt." the cut-throat leader told the boy, "1...2-" He kept his ground. Deliah looked at her protector, shocked and leaned over to whisper into his ear. "I appreciate the help, but you should listen to them. You are going to get seriously hurt." she told her rescuer. _

_He looked back at her and shook his head stubbornly. _

_"He's gone mad." the orphan thought to herself. The group smiled cruelly at the two. "We warned you, freak." Ally told them, "Johnny, go ahead." _

_Deliah clutched the green-haired child's shoulder as a brick-sized fist came flying towards them. Suddenly, without a warning, the boy spoke. "First of all, my name's not 'Freak'. It's Ferb. Secondly, you have no right to torment her for no good reason. And third, I'm not afraid of any of you." he told the baffled group calmly. Enraged, Johnny sent his fist towards Ferb again. But Ferb blocked it effortlessly, pulling Deliah to the side with him. _

_He grabbed her wrist and they began to run around the large field of a playground narrowly avoiding the angry bullies. Finally after an hour or so, recess was declared over. Ferb let go of Deliah and pointed to the school building, where the teacher was standing with the door open for her first-grade class. Relieved, Deliah started for the door, Ferb walking right behind her. _

_The group they had left behind was defeated. As long as Ferb was around, they would stay away. As their class proceeded down the halls, Deliah and Ferb stayed in the back of the line; a new friendship starting to bloom. From that day on, the two stuck together like glue._

* * *

Deliah paced around her room. Ferb...missing? The thought was too horrible for her to process. Then again, he had promised to come over, but he never did. That wasn't like Ferb at all. He kept his promises, no matter what. She had known that from the start. She was prepared to do anything to find Ferb, to pay him back.

Oh, the irony would come back soon enough. She climbed into bed that night, skipping dinner and desert, although her mother had made Deliah's favorite meal to ease the tension.

As Deliah closed her eyes to at least attempt sleep, the window slid open. When she sat up, the 15-year old found herself staring the barrel of the visitor's gun. He leaned down and whispered to her in a sickeningly friendly voice. "Listen. You will come with me quietly and without a fight, or I'll blow out poor Ferb's brains with a single bronze bullet. Understand?"

* * *

**With Ferb and Deliah...**

Deliah was panicking now. Here was her best-and only-friend in England in the back of this guy's car, next to her, shaking. Frightened.

No, he wasn't worried for himself. He was worried for _Deliah_. It was his nature to be more protective over others rather than to be more concerned for himself. That's how he had met Deliah in the first place.

Deliah eyed her peer, taking in the sight of his bruised face, his bloody lip, the broken pale-gray eyes. This wasn't the Ferb she knew, nor the one she had fallen for. Either way, they both knew one thing for certain: Ferb would do everything he could to protect them.

Whether that was good or bad; neither knew. All of a sudden, the car screeched to a halt. The driver got out of the car and slammed the door, leaving the two teens in an awkward silence. "F-F-Ferb, w-what has he done t-to you?" Deliah stuttered. The boy looked at his companion. He opened his mouth about to answer, when their kidnapper opened the door on Ferb's side and cocked an eerie grin.

"Hello, lovebirds. It's time to get back inside now," he told them. The tall figure pointed his gaze at Ferb. "Ready?" Ferb shook his head stubbornly. The man's smile disappeared. "Too bad. Have your girlfriend help you walk." Deliah could have sworn she saw her crush's face redden as he carefully slide out of the vehicle, only to land on the ground clutching his leg in agony. Deliah frantically climbed out of the car and pulled him up off the ground.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder while they hobbled carefully into the house in which Ferb was too used to.

* * *

**In Danville (No POV)**

Perry tucked his hat into his pocket hidden mysteriously in his skin. He took a deep breath. It had been 4 years ago since he had revealed his true colors in that other dimension disaster. The disappointment and pain that Perry had seen in his owners' eyes still haunted his deepest nightmares over the years.

Now, here he was about to uncover his identity once more. He hoped that Monogram had charged the memory-eraser. Perry hid in the bushes in the background and what he saw amazed him. Phineas, Baljeet, Buford, Isabella, and Irving were in the process of completing a massive jet that looked strangely like the Sunbeater 3000-but much bigger. Perry curiously-cautiously-walked further into the backyard, watching the group as they finished placing the wires into place.

"That just about...does it. There. The jet's all done. Now all we need to do is pack." The teens took off in their separate ways, leaving Perry to think to himself. Alright, it's now or never. Perry put his fedora back on and went inside. He stood in front of Phineas' door, crossed his fingers and slowly turned the knob.

Slowly, he inched into the room, grabbing Phineas' journal. He flipped through the pages and stopped at a blank page. When he looked up, he found his redheaded owner merely staring at him, his jaw open in shock. Perry held a finger to his bill and beckoned Phineas to lean forward. Perry took a pen from Phineas' desk and took off the lid carefully, writing on the paper with neat, loopy writing.

_I know you may feel awkward...but here it is: I'm a secret agent. That's why I disappear every day. um...sorry?_

Phineas frowned. "You're a secret agent? Don't you realize 'sorry' isn't going to cut it? How come you haven't told me before?"

_Look, this isn't about me. This is about Ferb. I'm going to help you find him, wiether you like or not. We're in this together now._

"You still haven't answered my question."

_I'll tell you later. We need to get going. Now._

"But-" the redhead started to agrue, but Perry sent him a stern glare.

Phineas rolled his eyes, but figured he should at least respect Perry's honesty. Besides, he could ask again later. Besides, as much as Phineas didn't want to admit it, Perry was right. This was about Ferb. Perry gave his owner a respectable nod. Suddenly, Phineas eyes lit up with an idea.

"Do you have any gadgets we can use?" he asked. Perry nodded again, happy that Phineas was trying to keep his feelings under control. The platypus once again motioned to the teen. The two went into the living room and by the couch. Perry lifted up the painting behind the plush seat and climbed into the hole.

Phineas followed him hestiantly. "Whoa!" Perry's lair was the same as ever, all sorts of tools and weapons lined up on the walls. Phineas' lips twitched upwards. "Wow..."

Perry nodded in agreement. "We'll grab some stuff and go." Phineas declared. They split up, tossing assorted gadgets and gizmos into Phineas' bag, preparing for the most important mission Perry could ever imagine. After maybe 10 minutes or so, they zipped up Phineas' bag and raced for the exit.

It was now or never.

* * *

**Chelsea, England~Shady-Grove Orphanage...7-8 Years ago**

_It was a rainy October noon, dark clouds blanketing the moist earth below. A young orphan girl and her green-haired visitor were watching the clear __raindrops drip down the foggy windows, clearly just enjoying each other's company-neither uttering a single sound. As the rain began to give up, the 7 __year-old boy fidgeted more and more. _

_Finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny, palmed-sized wooden box. He shyly tapped on the girl's __shoulder and offered the box to her. She gave him a skeptical look, but blew away a strand of deep, regal purple-colored hair_ _and opened the_ _tiny __container. It was a golden necklace, with a heart-shaped locket. _Just like her decreased Mum's.

_Deliah wiped away a tear, practically jumping onto Ferb __with a hug. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! How did you ever find this?" she cried. _

_Ferb held up his hand. "That's for me to know-and for you to __wonder about." Deliah squeezed her crush even tighter. He didn't seem to mind. They sat that way, side-by-side, while the rain continued to trickle from __the high heavens, just for them-so it seemed. That was Deliah's best day ever and for that moment, she was actually happy to be an orphan. _

_But she __was even more happy that she had a true friend._

* * *

**Present...Druelstein, Gimmelshump**

The flashback of simpler times, more joyous times was what brought back Deliah into conciousness. She found herself inside a fairly-sized room with a filthy concrete floor and dark grey brick walls. Ferb was laying next to her, _barely_ breathing. The rise of his chest was slim and rapid.

She half crawled/half-dragged-herself over to her fellow Londoner and checked his pulse, which thankfully, was going at a normal pace. As she let the recollection of the previous night's events invade her mind, she didn't know what to think. On one hand, she and her best friend/crush had been kidnapped, Ferb's leg was apparently injured-badly, and she had no clue where the bloody hell they were.

However on the other hand, they were together. She knew that with their combined intelligence and strength, they had a decent, _though not exact,_ chance of planning a clever escape. For the meantime, she would keep her eyes open and try to stay awake.

She observed the room, deciding if she could find a weakness in the room's structure, then perhaps the two could use it as an advantage. She pressed her fingers along the walls, trying to determine each single detail that she could possibly use. The walls were solid stone, although that didn't surprise the teen. Deliah walked over to the door and juggled the doorknob. Locked, of course. She had already figured that out.

What she was interested in, was the sound that would result. She leaned her ear against the door. Heavy footsteps. And she had a feeling that their visitor wouldn't be friendly. She rushed over to Ferb and tried to wake him up only to realize...Ferb wasn't breathing.

This was Deliah's worst day ever. All she could do was whisper softly, "_Ferb...?_"

* * *

_He felt no pain, no worries. Not a single bit of fear. There was no darkness here. Only happiness. Only the good things. Like summer, ice cream, puppies._

_You get the idea. Love. Compassion. Light. Nevertheless, Ferb had the slightest bit of protest, telling him that he wasn't supposed to be here. _

_As he __pondered these conflicting thoughts, he stopped and listened. There was a loud ringing noise. Powerful, but it didn't hurt his ears. A flash of colors __swirled around him-then stopped. He looked around at his surroundings. He was in a beautiful garden, a GIANT circle-shaped space. _

_In fact, it seemed __more like a planned-out sort of forest, if you can imagine such a place. The trees could only be described as an assortment of colors, each different and __unique. He looked at the plants hesitantly, despartely wanting to further study them. "No need to be so shy. " _

_Ferb jumped and looked over at the __source of the sudden noise. A friendly-but firm and wise looking elderly man was chuckling to himself, smiling at the teen. "I really don't mind if you take a __look at my 'children.' Just don't touch them, please." the man said kindly. _

_Ferb couldn't help but grin a little. He started to get up. "Would you mind __showing me the different types of trees? It's just that I've never seen some of these before and-" He was cut short by a good-natured laugh. _

_"Not at all. __In fact, I'm glad you asked. Nobody's asked me that in quite a while." The old man was obviously eager to pass down his expertise. _

_The pair stood up, __the man surprisingly in balance. "Let's start over there, shall we?" The elder asked, pointing to a tall oak tree. Ferb nodded eagerly. _

_"I call this one: _Phineas Vincent Flynn-Fletcher."_ Ferb raised his eyebrows curiously. "Huh. That's my brother's name." the green-haired boy said. _

_The old man winked at __him and said, "I know. I know everything about everyone. For you see, I'm the creator of all. The King of all. In the most simple terms, I'm God." _

_Ferb only __blinked. Then his jaw fell and his eyes widened. "But if you're...I'm dead, aren't I?" he asked. God answered him, placing a careful hand on Ferb's __shoulder in a futile attempt to keep from frightening him._

"Only partly."

* * *

**(Physical World...Gimmelshtump)**

Deliah pressed on Ferb's chest, trying to revive him. She was near tears now. "Please God, bring back Ferb! I need him! I-I'm all alone without him.

Please...!" She burst out sobbing, but again pushed on Ferb's torso area. "I really wish now I hadn't quit that CPR class early." she muttered to herself.

She had only learned two offical methods. Nose-to-mouth and...mouth-to-mouth. ...Oh dear. "Oh no, no, no! This-is just absolutely maddening! I-I...I'm

going to have to, aren't I? I'm going to have to do mouth-to-mouth-on Ferb." she mused aloud, still making desperate attempts on Ferb's torso. She

sucked in a breath, ready to do the most awkward-ly important thing ever. Mouth-to-mouth, it was. She leaned forward and thought to herself, _"Isn't this_

_ironic? It's just like that story 'Sleeping Beauty.' Ferb told me about. Here we are, Ferb on the verge of death and I'm here, practically about to kiss him!_

_Maybe he wakes up, that means I'm his true love or something."_ Deliah scoffed at herself. She wouldn't admit this to anybody, but Ferb-she knew she

was such a hopeless romantic. She rolled her eyes, then inhaled sharply. It was now-or never, after all. She leaned in.

* * *

_**(Meanwhile in Danville...)**_

"Perry has a hat?" Irving exclaimed. "And just when I thought I'd seen everything. Except for a flying pig, that is." Almost right on cue, a pig flew past the jet, and winked at the teens. "Never mind."

Perry slapped his forehead once more and motioned to Phineas. Phineas sighed, his brow creased in frustration. "Look," he started, "I don't mean to get snappy, but driving this thing AND trying explain this to to all of you-is a lot harder than you might think." Isabella shrugged.

"Why don't you just put it on Auto-pilot for now?" she asked. Phineas stood up from his seat, as did Baljeet from the co-pilot's chair. Phineas pressed the button, then followed the rest of the group into the lobby they had made. (In fact, the jet was a lot more like a air-borne hotel, than just a passenger plane.) Each of them settled onto a plush chair, Perry being the one exception, since he sat on the carpeted floors.

All of the teens seemed to being looking at either Perry or Phineas. They sat like that for a while in a awkward silence until Isabella cleared her throat uncomfortably. "So, uh...why IS Perry wearing a hat?" she asked. Phineas didn't answer. "Phineas? Why is Perry wearing the hat?" she asked again. Still, no answer from Phineas. "Phineas...?"

He swallowed noisily and exhaled slowly. "Perry's a...secret agent, I guess." Phineas said it like it was a usual phrase.

"What?" Irving asked. "That's crazy! I've practically seen everything, but I've never seen an animal secret agent, much less an animal that could write." Perry shook his head, then scribbled something onto a piece of paper and passed it to the shocked nerd-boy. Never underestimate a platypus.

Irving had his jaw hanging open and his eyes were as wide as baseballs. "He knows how to write? And he's a secret agent? Lucky!"

Perry grinned, but wasn't going to tell Irving about Agent H...yet. (Remember Harry the Hedgehog?) The result: the rest of the group laughed at Irving's reaction. It had brought a light-heartedness to the quest, but they still knew of the seriousness of the sitution. They couldn't lose sight of the mission at hand.

And they were all trying to cover that up for Phineas' sake.

* * *

_Ferb felt himself fill with an odd mix of relief and terror. "Partly dead? How's that possible?" he asked God. God shook his head. "There's no need to focus on that._

_What's important is: I have given you a choice, something I don't offer to everyone. You can either explore the garden with me forever, safe and happy...or you __can return to Life, with pain, sorrow, and friendships." Ferb tilted his head in thought. _

_God sighed. "I will let you think about it. Why don't we study a few trees, __then you can choose. Is that fair?" Ferb nodded, and followed the old man down a narrow path. They went back to the tree 'Phineas Flynn' then stopped._

_"I __thought we already saw this one." Ferb noted. The old man nodded his head. "But we never _studied_ it. Place your hand onto the trunk." Ferb obliged silently._

_"Now, close your eyes." A scene appeared in Ferb's mind and he braced himself... It was Phineas. He was lying down on his stomach on a large bed with heavy, __soft blankets piled on top of him. His face was buried into his pillow. But even the pillow couldn't hide his brother's muffled sobs. His bright red hair was sticking __out in messy spikes._

_ Phineas turned around onto his back and exhaled sharply. His face was even redder than his hair and his eyes were bloodshot. Tears __streamed down his cheeks. "Why did this have to happen to Ferb?" he asked himself, "Out of all people, why Ferb?" He was shaking now, on the verge of a panic __attack. "He never did anything wrong!" he sniffled. With that, Ferb felt a tear or two drip onto his face. He felt a pang in his heart for Phineas' innocence. _

_He took __his hand off the tree trunk, sending him back to the unreal reality of Heaven and opened his eyes. The elderly man, God gave his green-haired guest a pat on the __shoulder. They continued down the path._

* * *

Isabella walked through the hallways of the plane, in search of her room. (Each person had selected a suite for themselves.) Without question, she had moved her belongings in the room next to Phineas'. As she passed her crush's door, she heard a distinct whining sound. A sound she was so familiar to, and yet it was so new to her at the same time. Feeling sorrow and pity flow through her, she knocked on the door. "Phineas...are you okay?"

No response, only a whimper.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly. The crying stopped and the door creaked open ever-so-slowly. Phineas looked at her with bloodshot, weary eyes. "I'll only talk to you." he whispered, his voice cracking. Isabella nodded solemnly.

Phineas opened the door a bit wider. Isabella entered the room and sat on the bed. Phineas sat right next to her. She had the sudden urge to squeal, but she was able to hold it in-just barely. Isabella cleared her throat and wrapped on arm around his shoulder to try to comfort her long-time love. They sat there in silence, leaning on each other.

Suddenly as if a switch had been flipped, Phineas spoke. "I-just...just don't know how much I can take in, my brother's been kidnapped, Perry's a secret agent! I'm so glad I have friends like you." he mumbled.

Isabella looked at him thoughtfully. "Phineas," she said, "We _will_ find Ferb. I promise."

Phineas sniffled. "But you never said we would find him _in time_."

To Phineas' shock and new found delight, Isabella leaned over and kissed his cheek, rubbing small circles on Phineas' back. "_Listen Phineas, I swear on my birth: we'll find him. You're too smart to fail. I know Ferb knows it, too."_

* * *

Why was he the one who always got the odd jobs? This is what Shawn asked himself as he watched the screen in his office. Sure, the job paid good money and kept food on the table for his kids-but it sickened him that he was beating a kid around his son's age. He turned away from the screen in disgust. He hoped the boss wouldn't call him back. His hopes came too late, the phone rang. Wearily, Shawn picked up the phone and checked the caller-

ID. It was her. He clicked the 'Talk' button. _"Hello?"_

_"It's time."_

_"Listen, I-I just can't do this anymore."_

_"I know."_

_"I just-wait...what?"_

_"I have no use for you anymore. You've done your part. Now it's my turn. And just so our little secret doesn't get out..."_

Shawn was confused. Where was she going with this? He heard footsteps behind him. Slowly, carefully, he turned around. There she was. And she had a gun in her hand, the phone in the other. She hung up the phone then threw it onto the floor with a thud. Shawn backed up. "Now, let's just talk through this, shall we?" he asked calmly, fear evident in his voice.

"I don't think so. Nice try, though." she smirked. She raised the gun to his forehead.

"Wait-no! Don't shoot me! I have kids!" he cried, shielding his face.

"So do I. And I want to see her again. Wouldn't you, after _12 years_?" she shouted.

Shawn nodded. "I'm so glad you understand." she smiled. She pulled the trigger. "That's why I have to do this. It's time to see my daughter again," the woman said, "It's time to see _Deliah._"

* * *

**This was the last chapter that Crazy CM Fan100 posted. It is now my turn to finish this story. Not sure when, but it will be soon. **


End file.
